The Professor
by Random Charlie
Summary: Written before OotP and HBP. It's Ginny's seventh and final year at Hogwarts, with no nasty Potions professors or Malfoys ... or so she thinks. There's a Quidditch match and some original characters but don't let that deter you! DracoGinny
1. Tables Have Turned

The Professor

NB: I wrote this while quite young okay? I rewrote the ending, but that's about it. The rest is very badly written. The old version is still up here, under the pen name of Pezzy Mystic (don't read it!), and I have requested that it be taken down. I cannot log in to that account because I have completely forgotten the password.

**UPDATE - 10 March 2006: **Edited some stuff.

* * *

It was a quiet day in the little village of Ottery St. Catchpole and one rather large, magically supported household was looking rather peaceful, all except for one redheaded beauty who was flying about the house, looking for all her possessions and second-hand books.

She slid down the stair banister and landed in the kitchen. And sat down in a chair next to a raven-haired eighteen year old.

"Hey Harry!" Ginny piled her plate full of pancakes and drowned them in maple syrup.

"Looking forward to this year?" he asked, cutting up his pancakes with a knife and fork and trying to sound calm but turning a little red.

"Yeah I guess so. I heard that Snape retired! I hope this teacher's going to be nicer. They haven't told anyone who he is yet, I think they just want to surprise us!" she rambled on and on. Stuffing her mouth with food, employing the use of both hands.

Harry smiled at her and she almost blushed. A couple of years ago she would have been giddy with joy and probably have to fight the urge to giggle, but that had been before she had made herself get over him. Funnily enough, the very next day, Harry had noticed a great change in her; a strong, carefree and independent spirit that attracted him like nothing else.

"What are you going to do now you're out of school, Harry?" Ron, who was on Harry's other side. Harry got immediately distracted and told Ron about his plans to become an Auror. He made sure to speak loudly so Ginny could hear and glanced in her direction.

Ginny sighed and left the table, sick of hearing of his plans one more time. She pushed her trunk all the way down the stairs and it fell on the landing with a loud bang. The lid flew off, her clothes and books flying all over the place. Ginny quickly ran and packed her suitcase again, muttering curses under her breath as she put aside the clothes with inkstains for her mother to clean. Ginny never could got the hang of weightlessness charms, but vowed next time not to be too hasty about moving her trunk down the stairs. She remembered the last time she had tried a weightlessness charm. No one ever found out what happened to that brick, but sightings of it had been reported in the dungeons, scuttling away with a grating sound, leaving a trail of red dust.

Her father was waiting at the bottom of the stairs and he helped her take the trunk out to the car. Of course all of her brothers that were at home and Harry were going to see her off at King's Cross.

After magically cleaning the inkstains on Ginny's uniforms, Mrs. Weasley called out all the boys and they piled into the car. Ginny was stuck between Fred and Ron, both of who were talking to the people behind them, George and Harry.

Harry had taken up lodging at The Burrow at the end of seventh year. Ginny had noted with some satisfaction a few years behind that he had started to get increasingly, well, spotty. Of course, it was clearing up now, but it still gave her marvelous joy to know that the tables had turned. 'Hah!' Ginny thought, 'Taste your own medicine, Mr Potter!'.

He had also, she recalled, tried to catch her attention whenever he could. She smiled to herself when she remembered the Quidditch practices when he would try to show off his ability on the broom. Ron had, at one point when Harry was particularly distracted by a gazing, silently laughing Ginny, pulled his own Cleansweep from under him and smacked Harry in the head with it.

Ginny also remembered conversations she had overheard between Ron and Harry. Harry had told Ron the way he felt about her and Ron had gone very quiet, then took a deep breath. "Harry, you're a nutter." Ron said, trying to hide a smile.

She felt exhilarated about it. A boy liked her! It was a great ego-booster, but nothing more than that. She realised now that Harry felt more like a brother than anything else.

Throughout the entire trip she was aware of Harry's eyes on the back of her neck and wondered why all of her family had turned up to see her off to school. Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing.

When they arrived at Kings Cross her trunk was hauled onto the trolley by her brothers and she thanked them. She walked to the barrier and went through, then Ron, followed by George, Fred, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley.

She hugged them all and shook Harry's hand.

"Ah, screw it." She pulled on Harry's hand and hugged him. She heard his heartbeat quicken through his chest when they embraced. Ginny smiled satisfactorily. Who knew, maybe when she came home he would be less spotty and more mature. Maybe …

"Goodbye, Harry, write to me?" Ginny said as she pulled away. She lowered her lashes. Harry fidgeted.

"Okay." he blushed.

"Gin!" her friend Kate ran up to her and pulled her toward the train. She waved goodbye again and followed Kate into their compartment, somewhere in the middle of the train. She put her head out of the window and waved again as the whistle blew and the train started to move. She could see her mother wiping her eyes with a handkerchief and all the males waving and in Harry's case, grinning stupidly. Ginny waved enthusiastically and beamed at them, it was after all, the last time a Weasley of this generation would be leaving for Hogwarts.

As they bunch of redheads and one black spot faded into the distance Ginny settled back on her seat and started to gossip with Kate. They speculated on the new Potions and DADA teacher, talked about the latest installments in the Harry/Ginny saga, their favourite bands and who was going out with who.

After they had changed into their uniforms, Ginny sat and leant her chin on her hand as she stared out at the scenery.

She hoped that this year was going to be better and she had a feeling it would. She could also feel an emptiness inside, that made her stomach twist into knots. This feeling … it felt like …

"For goodness' sake I only had breakfast two hours ago." she said, aloud to herself. Her stomach grumbled noisily.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"If you're hungry I can go track down the lunch cart." Kate said.

"No thanks." Ginny smiled and pulled out a warm, squishy sandwich she had somehow sat on. "I got mine"

Kate frowned. "I got a raise in pocket money, I'll get you something?"

"I'll be OK, Kate. I'm not going to die of starvation."

"Alright, but seriously Ginny, you're a bit too skinny." Kate was always concerned for Ginny's welfare and sometimes Ginny didn't mind but other times, it just annoyed the crap out of her. Kate eyed the other girl's slim figure enviously.

"Hello, iz zis seat taken?" A boy had entered the compartment and was pointing at the seat next to Ginny. He was a little taller than Ginny, with black hair that brushed his shoulder, steely grey eyes and a Teutonic accent. Ginny could just imagine him saying 'Ve haf vays of making you talk, ja?'.

"No," said Ginny, moving her bag to the overhead compartment. "I'm Ginny and this is Kate, what's your name?"

"I am Villiam, I vas transferred to Hogvarts from Durmstrang."

"Is that William or Villiam? Sorry it's just the accent …"

"It is Villiam."

"OK Villiam …" Ginny sat down.

"Villiam."

"Vwilliam." he tried to say it.

"OK William," Kate looked ready to laugh. "Which year are you in?"

"I am in zer sevenz year" he said.

"We'll be seeing a lot of you zen, sorry, er, then." Kate smiled brightly.

"So, mind if we call you Will?" Ginny asked.

"It is fine viz me." He said, pronouncing every syllable as if he had a hard time speaking English.

"So, Will, where are you from, originally?" Ginny asked.

"I vas born in Germany and I haf travelled around zat area for most of my life, you know, Romania, Hungary, Belgium … zat  
vich vasn't spent at Durmstrang of course."

Ginny and William talked for the rest of the train trip and Kate just looked on with a smile on her face and occasionally said something.

As they neared the school, Ginny and Kate felt like they had made a new friend in Will, who enchanted them with tales of castles and forests and the mysteries of Durmstrang.

Their journey came to an end and they all exited the train, trying to find their way to the carriages. The found an empty carriage and as it headed to Hogwarts, they talked about the Sorting. Will desperately wanted to be in Gryffindor.

"Zo I suppose Ravenclaw vouldn't be so bad." he said after a moment's consideration.

When they got off the carriage, Professor Flitwick took Will to the first years to be sorted. They entered the hall and took their places at Gryffindor, saving a seat for Will. They were sure he'd be in Gryffindor.

Professor McGonagall started calling out the names from the parchment she held.

"Alberry, Jacob"

A small boy walked up to the hat, shaking. He sat on the stool and closed his eyes tight. The hat said, "Hufflepuff!" and he ran over to the Hufflepuff table, amidst cheering and clapping.

Ginny looked over at Will, he wasn't hard to spot. He was towered over the first years that seemed to get shorter and shorter every year. She looked at the scared faces of the little kids. 'So cute!' she thought. 'I just one to hug one of them!'. Soon came Will's turn.

"Malfoy, William!" The hall went completely silent as William took the hat. He sat there for a while, listening to the hat. It finally called out, "Gryffindor!"

There was no applause, only shocked silence. Will took the hat off and sat down in the place Kate and Ginny had saved for him. The whole school began to whisper behind their hands and look at Will.

"Vy is everyvun staring?" Will asked Ginny.

"I think you're the first Malfoy in Gryffindor, ever." she answered.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kate asked.

"Vat? Zat I am a Malfoy?" He shrugged. "I didn't zink it vas important at ze time." Ginny stared vacantly into the distance, then stood up and walked out of the hall. Will tried to follow her but Kate stopped him.

"Let her be." she said and Will sat back down.

"Vat's ze matter?" he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Ginny's family are the enemies of the Malfoys. She's been teased for the last six years by that prat Draco Malfoy and this year was going to be her year off."

"But I vouldn't tease her! And I happen to know Draco Malfoy. He can be a cruel, but deep down," Will looked thoughtful "_Very _deep down, he has a good soul." he said, smirking at the memory of his relative. Dumbledore stood up and the whole hall quieted.

"This year we have a transfer student at Hogwarts, direct from Durmstrang, William Malfoy. And as you may have heard we have a new Potions Master who, sadly, cannot be with us at the moment, as he has some urgent business to conduct, but for now, let's eat!" the table suddenly groaned under the weight of the food and Will's eyes widened in shock, he wasn't used to this. He eagerly picked up bits of food and placed them on his plate, intending to eat the lot.

He waddled back to Gryffindor tower with Kate and went straight up to his dorm. The other seventh year boys were already there.

"Hi, William." one of them said.

"Call me Vill." Will said, smiling as he fell down onto his bed.

"OK Vill." one of the other boys said. The others turned from what they were doing and looked at the new kid with mischievous smiles on their faces.

"Cool, he's got an accent! Say, asta la vista, please?" one of the muggle borns said. Will remembered the movie he was referring to. He grinned and made his accent thicker and his voice deeper.

"Asta la vista, baby." The other boys laughed and made him say lines from the Terminator movies.

"I'll be back," was a very popular quote, but the boys kept calling him Vill instead of Will. He didn't mind a bit, yet his mind was unsettled - he had make it up to Ginny somehow. He wasn't sure what he was making up for, but he knew that he really did want to be her friend. As he lay trying to go to sleep, he tried to think of what he was going to say.


	2. Plotting and Scheming

**UPDATE - 10 March 2006: **Weeded out some errors.

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Ginny was in her dorm, still a little dazed from recent events. How could Will be a bloody Malfoy? He was way too nice! She stared at the ceiling, trying to work her head around this impossible thing. 

Kate came in and told Ginny that Will didn't know about the Malfoy-Weasley situation. Ginny was a little relieved, but still felt like her world had been shaken a little by Will. A nice Malfoy, that would be like Harry Potter announcing he was gay! She laughed at this thought and thought of Harry in drag and glittery makeup until she went to sleep, a broad grin on her face.

In the morning, Will and Ginny greeted each other. Ginny wasn't angry, she had liked Will, but it had been quite a shock. What would her parents think if they knew she had befriended a Malfoy? Mind filled with rebellious thoughts, she and Kate sat down with Will at the Gryffindor table.

Will asked Ginny to tell the boys in his dorm that they should call him Will instead of Vill, but Ginny laughed and said it was kind of cute.

They ate breakfast in the Great Hall and the timetables were handed out by Professor MacGonagall.

"Good grief, Potions first, this always happens every year, you'd think we were in a badly written **fanfiction**!" Will and Kate stared at Ginny in confusion. "But at least we have it with Ravenclaw this year instead of those scumbag Slytherins, I almost pity those Hufflepuffs. Almost."

The rest of breakfast was a bit quiet and the Potions Master's chair still wasn't filled. Ginny raised an eyebrow at this but soon stopped asking herself why because Will was talking to her about turnips.

They finished breakfast soon after and were on their way to Potions. Will had one arm around each girl and boys and girls that passed them gave them envious glances. Will's good looks and exotic background attracted the stares of the girls who giggled when he was around them, although they were a little afraid of the ex-Durmstrang student.

They entered the Potions classroom, but their teacher wasn't there yet. Ginny sat down at a desk at the front of the room and Will next to Kate behind her. Ginny usually enjoyed the practical aspect of Potions, even if Snape had a horrible nature. She hoped the new teacher was better. She was sure she'd do well if Snape wasn't breathing down her neck, trying to find something wrong with her potion. Was the new teacher a man or woman? Tall, short, skinny, fat? Sense of humour or as reactionary as a pumpkin?

"I can't stand the suspense!" she almost yelled.

Everyone was looking at the door to the Potions Master's room, eager for the teacher to show up.

The student entrance at the back of the room burst open with a bang and everyone jumped.

The teacher walked briskly up to the front desk, shoes clicking on the stone floor. He had white blonde hair that covered half his ears and was smooth as silk. Ginny half-yearned to stroke it. He had grey eyes and an icy glare for everyone. The muggle trenchcoat he wore was hung up on the hat stand. He smirked at the class, a look of superiority came over his face and instantly knew who he was.

"I'm the new Potions Master, Professor Malfoy, no you may not call me anything else than Professor Malfoy otherwise I'll chain you to the ceiling by your gaskin." A tiny smile, the only Ginny had ever seen him do, came over his face when he looked at his cousin. "That is all of you except for William, who can call me anything he likes."

Ginny stared at the new Malfoy, with wonderment. He looked so different out of uniform. Under his trenchcoat he had been dragonhide black trousers with stains around the front from fresh potion ingredients he hadn't cleaned yet. The loose white shirt he wore was also stained, around where the apron she assumed he been wearing did not cover him. In a few places his shirt was actually eaten through. Ginny could not help but admire the fact that he was so young, yet able to work with highly acidic ingredients.

"You will stay where you are seated for the rest of the year so that I may learn all your names quicker. I will call you all by your last names, not your first." He smirked and started to call out names.

"Erskine?"

"Here sir" A boy from Ravenclaw said.

"DuBoise?" Erica Duboise raised her hand and blushed. All of the girls seemed quite taken with the new Draco Malfoy, that is all except Ginny who was caught between admiration at his skill and rage at him in general.

"Malfoy?"

"Yo, Dragon my man!"

"Stop it Will, it doesn't suit you" Professor Malfoy smirked at Will with genuine mirth.

Some of the girls giggled and began to whisper and pass notes.

He went down the list of names and paused at Ginny's name.

"Ah, the measly Weasley …"

"Come on Draco, she's not zat bad. She is my friend." Will said and smiled at Ginny who smiled back. She turned around and went "Nyah, nyah, nyah!" at her professor. Malfoy sneered. She was still the little innocent Weasley.

"Whatever you say, Will." He went on with the lesson, which was basically telling them what was going to happen that year in Potions. They would be making a Sixth Sense Potion, as Malfoy so fondly called it, at the end of the term. It enabled them to see and commune with the dead that weren't ghosts.

The lesson finally ended and Malfoy called Will to his desk.

"Will, come here. What's happening with Aunt Gerde and Uncle Tobias?"

"Nuzzing much. You know vat zey're like." Will sighed "Mozzer cooks all day long and Fazzer spends each day in his library, studying zer Malfoy history." Will said.

"How about you? Anything interesting?"

"No nuzzing."

"Oh I'm nothing am I?" Ginny interrupted with her hands on her hips.

"Does she have to be here?" Draco asked.

"She's my friend, Draco, I vant her to be here, it is unfortunate Kate is not here." He put his arm around Ginny and pulled her close. "But she didn't want to be late for class."

Professor Malfoy scowled. Ginny sighed, they would probably miss Ancient Runes, but Ginny didn't really care. It was a boring subject anyway.

"What happened with the sorting, Will?" he asked.

"I vanted to be sorted into Gryffindor, and I did."

"You're in Gryffindor?" Draco said, shocked.

"Yes, vy does everyvun zink it is such a big deal?" Will asked.

"Well, All Malfoy's are generally evil and are all in Slytherin," Ginny interrupted. "You're the first Malfoy in Gryffindor for, well, I don't know, years, possibly ever. Kate told you."

Will and Draco talked for a while until lunch when they had to go. Draco had generally talked about himself, after he had asked Will a few more questions. Ginny clearly felt Draco's annoyance at her presence, and stuck to topics only he and Will knew about.

Lunch came and they left together, until they had separated at the entrance hall.

Ginny and Will sat on either side of Kate and started to pile their plates. Kate asked them questions, which Will answered. The girls around them were flaunting their assets and trying to strike up a conversation with Will, but he coolly ignored them.

"Can ve go get ready now? I hate being the centre of attention for too long." Will said

"That is an un-Malfoyish characteristic!" Ginny said, laughing.

"You don't know all of us," Will said. "How can you judge someone by their family?"

Ginny thought of her own family and agreed. They all walked to Gryffindor Tower to get their books for the classes after lunch.

They walked as slow as they wanted to Divination and laughed most of the way at the jokes Will made, and Kate's few, but hilariously amusing, witty remarks.

"Did I tell you about ze time Draco and I had a sleepover?" Will said, he was telling the girls about Draco and all the things they did together. Ginny was eagerly listening for some dirt on Malfoy, this revelation might be promising.

"No, what happened?" Kate asked.

"It vas just an overnight one, but it vas a night I vould never forget. It vas his tvelth birzday and I had met zis very nice girl. He knew I really liked her and ven ve vere out in ze garden, I vas about to kiss her and zen she gasped and ran away. He had taken ahold of my boxers with zer tiny red hearts on zem and written, 'Watch out for Will's STDs!' on zem, zen levitating zem a few feet avay from us. I haven't forgiven him for zat yet. I can never face Penelope again." Ginny was giggling and Kate was looking at Will with pity in her eyes.

"What an awful thing for him to do!" She said.

"Why don't we get him back?" she said, with a glint in her eye.

"Oh no, she's got zat look in her eyes." Will said.

"I've got a plan." Ginny twiddled her thumbs and smiled again.

The next day Ginny walked into Potions with her head held high. Kate had given her a makeover, her hair was more curly at the bottom and she had make-up on. Just a bit of eye shadow, lipgloss, mascara and eyeliner. She made sure her freckles stood out a bit so she would look innocent.

Will and the rest of the boys at Hogwarts looked at her strangely through breakfast and in the halls. They were surprised at how much Ginny had changed in a short time. The girls also stopped to compliment her, and try to catch Will's eye.

Ginny entered the classroom and saw Malfoy at his desk, head down and examining a paper. She sat at her desk in the front row and did the thumbs up to Kate and Will.

Kate and Will smiled encouragingly and Kate did the thumbs up back to Ginny.

"Now, today you'll be making the 'Jusenkyo' po –" he stopped, Ginny had just turned around, and smiled at him. He took in her pink lips, soft yellow and green eyelids and curly hair that bounced as she turned. He felt the temperature of the cool, damp dungeon rise a few degrees.

"P-potion, please pick a partner." Will got up and sat next to Ginny before any other of the admiring boys could get there. Kate had been paired up with a brainy girl from Ravenclaw, but looked longingly at Will and Ginny.

"You look really beautiful, Gin." Will said after an awkward silence that was only filled with the bubbling of cauldrons and hushed whispers. The Professor's eyes darted in their direction as he passed by.

"Thank-you, Will" she leant closer and added. "Good touch, I almost believed you! Do you think it's working?"

"I really mean it, you are very beautiful today." he brushed a tendril of hair from her face and she blushed.

All of this didn't go unnoticed by the Professor. He watched as Will said that Ginny was beautiful. He watched as she leaned and whispered something to him. Watched as he whispered back and glared as he saw Will tuck away a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Will looked at the Professor who was now red in the face and glaring at him.

"I zink you're turning green viz jealousy, dearest cousin of mine." he said. A boy from the back of the room laughed and said.

"He's not turning green! He's turning red!" some laughed but others just tried not to smile, so they would not anger the Professor.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Matthews, I'll have none of your cheek." Professor Malfoy was bitter for the rest of the lesson.


	3. So Adorable? What The Heck?

**Chapter 3**

AN: Some news - BlueEyesOff has offered to translate this story into German. Wow. Cool. Anyway, I have edited the first to chapters to put more into them, so if you are coming back to read this chapter, I would recommend glancing over the first two chapters to see more stuff I have added to them.

* * *

Later that afternoon Ginny was once again in make up and the most innocent looking clothes that Will and Kate chose. Will said that Draco would be attracted to her innocence, so they had dressed her in a light green skirt with gauze and frills around the hem and one white heart embroidered above her left knee. Her top was white cotton and was scrunched up around the neck and sleeves. She felt pretty and feminine. 

She walked down the corridors, trying not to make too much noise and thought about where Malfoy would be at this time of night. Students were still walking around, as it was only eight p.m., and a few exchanged greetings with Ginny as they hurried by. She got a few compliments on her clothes, and lingering glances as she made her way to the Potions classroom.

This area of the dungeons was empty, with no sign of life. The flopping of her sandals echoed oddly in the desolate corridors as she made her way to the door of the classroom, taking a deep breath before she knocked on the door.

Professor Malfoy was in the Potions classroom, as a matter of fact, thinking about his new students, and as he reviewed the days classes the image of a singularly pretty redhead popped into his head. She had looked so … innocent.

He tried to shake her from his thoughts. 'I'm definitely not into sweet little girl. I like them foxy and dressed in leather or nurses outfits, not with big blue eyes and copper ringlets that begged to be held and stroked …

"Gaahh!" He smacked his forehead and tried to think about something else.

'The first years, Gods, what a disaster!' The chattered like rabbits and were as timid. Whenever he had walked around them they squeaked and looked away.

'The soft lines of her face, the makeup that had enhanced her eyes, the dusting of freckles.'

"Ughh. Ugly!" He screwed up his face. Definitely not his type.

There was a knock on his door, and he was grateful for any distraction from his dangerous thoughts.

"Come in." he growled.

"Uh, Professor?" he looked up. Ginny was standing there in, predictably, innocent clothes. Her hair was only slightly curled now, and she looked at him with those orbs of blue that he could fall into, if he wasn't careful. But Draco Malfoy wouldn't have survived this long if he wasn't careful.

"What is it?" he growled again.

"I just wanted to see if Will, Kate and I had any homework." She said, looking down at her toes. "You didn't assign any, but we just don't want to fall behind in our work like last year." She looked up at him from under her fringe. His heartbeat quickened, but tried not to show it on the outside. 'I smell a rat.' He thought.

"If you don't want to fall behind then go and read chapters one to seven in the book, and memorise it all." he looked back down to the quiz papers that the second years had done, that he had been trying to mark for the last half hour.

"Thank you, Professor." She stood there as if waiting for him to say something. Suddenly, it dawned on him what she was trying to do.

"Weasley, if you're trying to seduce me …"

Ginny started and her face went a little pink.

"Pfft. Yeah right." Her whole attitude became different as she put on hand on her hips and let the other play with her skirt. "Like _I _would try to seduce _you._"

Malfoy raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Tell Will my tastes have changed, but he certainly hasn't. Do you know this is the fourth time he's set a girl to seduce me. It's not going to happen. Goodbye, Weasley." He looked back down at his papers, grinning inwardly at having gotten the last word. She stood there nonplussed for a moment before leaving.

After the door had closed and Malfoy knew she had gone, he leant back in his chair. He had got it for 200 galleons in Diagon Alley. There were several golden switches on the outside of the armrests, and he switched one now that enabled him to lean back, as if in a lazy-boy. He undid the first button in his shirt and sighed.

Ginny was crouching next to the door and had enchanted her sandals to walk on. She peeked through the key hole and saw Malfoy lean back in the chair and let out a moan.

"Stupid girls." she heard him mutter. He lay there for a moment, and she admired his soft blonde hair and fine, pointed features. His brow smoothed as he lay in the quiet, and Ginny had just thought he had gone to sleep when he suddenly sat up and stretched.

Even through the shirt she could see his smooth muscles dance as he raised his arms over his head and yawned. Ginny was reminded of a cat, as he moved and ran a hand through his hair.

He stood up and went through the door in the back of the classroom. It was at this time that Ginny looked at her watch in her pocket and saw that she had half an hour before she had to be back in her common room. She could spare ten minutes before she had to leave, and she just wanted to see him one more time. 'What kind of pervert am I?' she thought as she looked up and down the hallway to make sure no one was there.

After five minutes, the professor came out again, and Ginny blushed furiously as Draco, with only a pair of dark green lounging trousers had come into the classroom once again, with a towel around his shoulders. He dried his hair with one hand as he used his other to flick through the papers on his desk.

Dust flew up as he opened a drawer and he sneezed softly, like a cat. Ginny giggle.

Malfoy started and looked straight towards the door she was hiding behind and started moving towards it, taking long strides.

Ginny felt icy cold as she stood up and ran for her life down the corridor. She felt a spell zing past her and another hit her feet. Her whole body stopped moving, only her clothes were still moving as she looked wildly around, eyes darting, not able to move her head.

The professor calmly walked up to her and then circled her, looking Ginny up and down.

"What were you doing outside my office, Weasley?"

"Why should I tell you?" she snarled, surprised she could still move her lips.

"I'm a Professor, in case you haven't noticed, and I will ask you to use the proper honourifics." he hissed.

"You're still a daft prat, sir." Malfoy stopped and glared at her. She felt suddenly fearful, and utterly defenceless as she stood there, one leg in the air, the other on the ground, but barely. He waved his wand and she fell forwards, luckily stopping herself from getting a broken nose by putting out her hands to stop herself from falling headfirst.

"Detention and twenty points from Gryffindor." Malfoy spun around and headed back to the classroom.

Lost in thought, Ginny wandered back to her tower. He could look so cute, and adorable one minute, then be scowling and glaring the next. She couldn't help but feel her heart quicken at the memory of the sight of him in his lounging trousers, slung low around his waist, his blonde hair, darkened with moisture and the way he had moved with a catlike grace.

She stood in front of the Fat Lady and tried to remember the password.

"Discalceate." she said and wondered what the hell discalceate meant.

"What does discalceate mean?" she asked Kate, who knew more about, well, anything than her.

"I think I heard it meant to take one's shoes off." she said, and then said goodnight to Will and Ginny as she went up to the seventh year girl's dormitory.

"Vat happened?" Will asked when Kate had gone. Ginny told him everything, except the part about seeing him half naked and chasing her down the corridor. That, she would prefer no one knew.

"He said you've tried to set girls to seduce him before." Ginny said.

"Vell, yes, I admit I have done it before," Will said. "But he didn't tell you zat he fell for zer first zree. Zen, I zink, He caught on to my evil plans. Are you falling for him?" he asked and raised a dark eyebrow.

"No way." Ginny tossed her hair behind her and crossed her arms. The memory of those pants and his face popped up.

"I zink you are, we Malfoy's are irresistible to vimmin." he winked at her. She raised an eyebrow.

"I could do things that would make you look like a tomato, Miss Weasley."

"No you couldn't." She was eager to see what these things were, she just tried not to show it.

"Oh, I could." he stood up and walked over to her, then sat next to her, his arm over the head of the sofa and leaned in. He whispered breathily into her ear and she turned scarlet.

"I told you I could make your face look like a tomato." He chuckled.

"OK, so all Malfoy are sexy as hell –"

"Damn right!" Will said.

Ginny laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow, Will. I've got to get some sleep." She ran up the staircase and into the room.

Kate looked up as Ginny entered the room. Kate was doing a cross-stitch of a two kittens and a ball of string. Sometimes, Ginny just didn't understand Kate's mind at all. Kate was a big fan of Buna Seara, a magical rock band from Eastern Europe and read all sorts of books, from magical textbooks to muggle murder mysteries and vampire fiction. Yet, Kate dressed in pretty, feminine clothes and seemed to be able to do anything she put her head to. She never stuck with one thing for too long, and Ginny was amazed that Kate done over half of the cross-stitch.

"What's up?" Kate asked, putting her cross-stitch down.

"Malfoy has convinced me that all Malfoy's are irresistible to women." she jumped on her bed and moaned.

"Which one?" Kate asked.

"Will." Ginny answered and Kate sighed.

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

"I think I kind of like Will." Kate's eyes glazed over. "I love his sense of humour, his interests are similar to mine and well, he's the nicest guy I've met for a while that I can talk to."

Ginny nodded. Kate was painfully shy, and when she was with Will, she seemed to blossom into a pretty, witty and glowing woman. Ginny had hoped Will noticed.

Kate picked up her cross-stitch again and continued to stitch.

"Good for you, Kate, you haven't been on a date in ages." Ginny smiled.

"Let's get onto another subject please?" Kate pleaded.

"Sorry, Kate."

"What happened with Professor Malfoy?"

"I saw him with his shirt off." Ginny's eyes glazed over and she started to grin stupidly.

"I'm guessing that was a good thing. You're eyes have gone all funny."

Ginny blushed. "Well. He was very cute. He sneezed and it was so adorable. I never thought I'd say that about Malfoy, but there you go."

"Did he know you were watching?"

"No, I was looking through the key hole, but then I … erm … made a sound and he heard me –-"

"What was this sound, pray?" Kate asked and Ginny blushed again.

"I giggled when he sneezed." Ginny looked down and Kate laughed. "Back to the story"

"Well, I ran away and then he froze me with a spell. I told him he was a prat and he gave me detention."

"Wow." Kate said.

"Wow, what?"

"You're going to have detention with him, at night, alone, get the picture?"

"Oh no." Ginny groaned and put her head in her hands.

"Do you want him to like you?" Kate raised an eyebrow.

"I really don't know. I think he's a hot guy, but as for _him _… I don't know. I've hated him all my life, since before I even knew him. He's got an awful personality and I think if I angered him enough he'd have no qualms about hexing me."

"And you'd have no qualms about giving him a bat-bogey hex, right?" Kate said, smiling.

Ginny laughed. "Right! He wouldn't know what hit him!"

Outside Will was standing behind the door and listening to the two girls talk. So, Ginny didn't like him but Kate did. He thought about how Kate hade changed now that he knew her better. She was a quiet girl, but he had found that she was becoming more open with him now. There was never a dull moment with Kate.

Will walked back to his dormitory, taking the gender-bending charm off himself that he had used to sneak around the girl's dorms.

As he lay in his bed, listening to the snores of his roommates he thought of Kate, and her beautiful brown hair and her warm green eyes. Then he thought, 'Will she like me still when I tell her who I really am? Will she hate me for lying?'. These thoughts and more kept him awake for hours before he finally fell asleep.

* * *

Reviews, please? I will love you forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever ... 


	4. Detention and Quidditch

**The Professor**

Chapter 4

Draco Malfoy paced his chambers. It was cold, and only a combination of potions and charms kept out the damp. After Snape had moved out, he had some of the elves scrub the entire place thoroughly before moving any of his things in. The old, dirty bed with sunken mattress Snape had used was taken outside and torched.

None of this was going through his mind at the time, though. He was thinking about why Weasley was perving on him. Of course, he knew he was a sexy devil, but Weasley wasn't that type of girl.

Was she? Did he even know her well enough to make these judgements about her? But Draco Malfoy wasn't one to judge fairly, so he thought of how sassy she had looked when he had caught her out before she had left. Her eyes had flashed and colour had risen in her cheeks.

Clearly, Malfoy smirked, Weasley must be crazy about him, and he, as a Professor should not encourage her. It would be his job if Dumbledore found out he was snogging a student.

Still, Malfoy was unable to sleep for quite some time.

The next morning Ginny received the Detention notice during breakfast. Her detention was to be in the Potions classroom and started at ten p.m.. She crumpled up the piece of parchment over her head, hitting a Ravenclaw and landing in his neighbour's cereal.

Kate winked at Ginny and gave her a nudge and a knowing look. Ginny glanced over at where Professor Malfoy was sitting and saw him sipping from his goblet. His eyes flicked in her direction and she glared at him, colour rising in her cheeks. He lowered his goblet and raised an eyebrow with a knowing look almost identical to Kate's.

Ginny turned her face back to her empty plate and went even more red. She hated her complexion and the fact that she was so easy to read, just by the colour of her face.

"Come on, Kate. It's Saturday, so let's not waste it eating." Kate nodded and Will got up as well, wiping his mouth on a napkin.

All three of them dawdled back to their tower. Will was laughing at a joke Ginny had told, and Kate was still trying to figure it out.

"Wait, wait, I'll figure it out. The llama went … and the postman said …" Kate's brows were furrowed in thought as she tried to puzzle it out. Will looked at her, smiling and thought how cute she looked, biting her lip and looking thoughtful.

Kate burst into a fit of giggles. "Ahah! Oh, that _is _funny!" she laughed for the next few minutes and the other two laughed at their friend.

Kate was now red and breathing heavily. Unknowingly she leant on Will for support and giggled softly until she got her breath back. Then she realised what she was doing and blushed furiously. Ginny noted that Will was also a little red. Ginny giggled under her breath.

They reached their dorms in complete silence, having laughed enough. Ginny and Kate bid goodbye to Will as they went upstairs.

In their room, Ginny worked on some assignments and read some of a book she had to return to the Library the next day.

At about eight, Ginny decided she should have some sleep before she served detention that night.

She slept for one and a half hours before waking up and getting ready and then making her way to the dungeons.

Malfoy was waiting there for her. He was sitting on his desk with folded arms and a swinging foot. As she closed the door, he glared at her. Ginny approached the desk where he sat.

"You'll be cleaning all the tabletops, Weasley and no magic. Be grateful I'm not making you do the store room or the cauldrons. They were done by a first year two nights ago." he smirked and held out his hand for her wand. Ginny handed it to him begrudgingly. Malfoy went in the back and he emerged with a bucket of soapy water and a scrubbing brush with rubber gloves. He shoved them in her direction and she started to scrub at the back of the room. He sat at his desk, marking papers, looking up every now and then.

About half an hour later she was scrubbing a desk when she saw an inscription on the desk she was working on.

GINNY WEASLEY IS A FOX

She snorted with laughter, then realized where she was and stopped laughing.

"What is it Weasley?" she looked up at him.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She blushed.

He walked over and looked down at the desk. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. He could see why someone would write that. The Weaslette, no matter her family and fiscal value, was not a toad in the looks department. Malfoy tried to shake himself from these dangerous thoughts.

"Who sits here, Weasley?" he asked her.

"I don't know, but you should, Professor." She exaggerated the last word. "You teach all the classes. It could've been anyone."

"I'll be sure to see he is punished. If for nothing then for bad taste." He smirked as he heard the shocked noises coming from Weasley.

He went into the storage cupboard and was there for an hour, checking the status of his supplies and writing down the ingredients that needed to be ordered. When he came back she was still scrubbing the desks, sweat pouring off her face and red in the face fro mthe exertion. Her hair was a little tousled and some strands fell out from her loose bun. She pulled them back behind her ear. Malfoy mentally shook himself.

"Is that all you've done? Good grief, Weasley. What were you doing? Writing graffiti about me on the desktops?" he sneered and Ginny's face flushed with anger.

"Well," She said, standing straight and stretching her aching back, "If you want the desks cleaned quickly, why don't you help?" She smirked.

Malfoy just looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Not on your life, Weaslette. Cleaning is for serfs." He put his feet on his desk and leaned back in his chair.

"You like playing Lord of the Manor, don't you?" Ginny scowled at him.

"What can I say?" Malfoy now inspected his fingernails. "I _am _the Lord of the Manor. After my father was killed by Voldemort, I inherited Malfoy Manor." He smirked at her. "Whereas you live in a hovel with … how many brothers? You know, I really don't care." He let out a small laugh.

Ginny scrubbed harder, gritting her teeth and imagining the wood beneath her hands was Malfoy's face, and instead of a scrubbing brush she had a scourer. She smiled inwardly as she imagined him. 'No, Weasley! Not my face! Aaaahh!' and he'd scream like a girl.

Malfoy looked at his watch. It was only 11.30 and he half wished the desks were dirtier so she could stay longer. His lips twisted in a crooked smile as he thought of her hands red and aching, face red with anger and all of her fury just for him.

Ginny had finished the last desk at midnight. She turned and looked at him, still sitting at his desk, reading a test paper and gleefully marking it with big red crosses.

"I'm finished." She said.

"I'm finished _what?_ Honestly, Weaslette, if you can't address me with the proper honourifcs, I may just have to give you another detention." Malfoy looked at her. Ginny wanted to smack that smirk of his face so hard his head twisted round.

"I'm finished, _sir._" Ginny gritted her teeth.

The professor stood up and walked around the room. He inspected each table, disappointed that she had done a thorough job.

"Very well." He said reluctantly. "You may go." He made shooing motions with her hands as he turned to go back to his desk. She glared at him and muttered under her breath as she left to go back to her dormitory.

The boy without a face came over to her and touched her face. "I don't know what I'd without you. I want you to be with me always." He held her hand as they sat there, watching the other couples dance.

All of a sudden, a giant otter in a police uniform came over to them.

"You're both under arrest!" It declared, chest puffing out.

"What for?" Ginny asked indignantly.

"Flirting!"

"What?" Ginny said, as she and the faceless boy were dragged away by two mean looking chickens.

"Ginny!" The faceless boy screamed as he was dragged out another door. "Ginny!"

Ginny's eyes flew open and she was suddenly very awake.

"Ginny!"

Kate was leaning over her, beaming with excitement.

"Guess what?"

"Otters and chickens have been accepted into Scotland Yard?" Ginny mumbled.

"What?" Kate looked confused.

"Nothing. What's happening?"

"Your family and Harry Potter are here. Dumbledore thought Hogwarts should honour your family for the valuable contribution it has made to the school, so they're here to play Quidditch against the staff!" Kate smiled. "Talk about random and totally without purpose!"

"Am I playing?" Ginny asked.

"Heck yes, you are."

"Damn. I haven't played in ages, how do I know if I'm still good?"

"Ginny," Kate sighed. "You're a right idiot sometimes you know. You're, like, the second best Quidditch player at school. I don't know _why _you're not on the Quidditch team."

"They'd make me captain. I don't want to be captain." Ginny pulled her bathing gear out of her trunk.

"Whatever! Hurry up, they're waiting for you." Kate bustled off.

Ginny went down to breakfast half an hour later, dressed in her Quidditch robes. Her mother came running up to greet her. She hugged her and then Molly made everyone scoot down the bench so Ginny could sit with her family. Ginny didn't miss the fact that Molly had squeezed her next to Harry. Ginny's thigh was uncomfortably pressed up against his and she could see him flushing red as he looked stoically at his scrambled eggs.

"Hey Harry." She smiled. His eyes flicked up and then went back down to his plate.

"Hi." He turned and started talking to Ron.

Ginny looked around at the rest of her family. Ron was there, of course, as was Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, Geroge and Mr Weasley. She didn't think Percy would play, but she knew that his complete obsessive obedience to rules would make him an ideal referee. She knew Fred and George were Beaters, and Charlie used to be a Seeker, but Harry was surely better than Charlie.

Her family took up all of the extra room at the Gryffindor students who looked at the redheaded family with awe. She knew that tales of the twins (most of them created by her two prankster brothers) had spread to the younger years.

"Doesn't this bring back memories, Arthur?" Molly was rapturously looking around. "No matter how long you've been away, it's so lovely to know that Hogwarts will never change." Molly looked reminiscently at the ceiling of the Great Hall. Arthur had his arm around his wife, and his memories plainly written on his face. He looked at his wife, their face now a little more wrinkled, and both a little plumper since they had last been at Hogwarts. Arthur kissed his wife on the forehead, and Molly leaned on his shoulder.

Ginny grinned at her parents, envious of the happiness they shared. Her attention was then caught by her brothers, now discussing the Quidditch match to come. Bill was talking.

"-- I'll do Keeper. Charlie, I know you're a Seeker but Harry's much younger and better than you --." Harry blushed and Charlie scruffed up his hair jovialy. "Fred, George, you know what to do and …" He noticed Ginny and grinned brightly at her. "Oh hey Gin, you can be a Chaser. Perce? Are you gonna play?" Bill looked around at Percy who was sitting back and inspecting his nails.

"No. My skills are more appropriate for the position of umpire." Percy got up and left the Great Hall.

"What's got his panties in a twist?" Asked Fred.

An hour later, the Quidditch stands were full and the postions had been assigned in each team.

The Hogwarts Teachers team consisted of Professor McGonagall (Chaser), Professor Vector (Beater), Hagrid (Beater), Professor Sprout (Chaser), Professor Flitwick (Chaser), Dumbledore (Keeper) and Professor Malfoy (Seeker).

"What's Dumbledore doing? Won't he, like, get a heart attack or something?" Ginny asked.

"He's a lot stronger than you know." Charlie said from behind her.

"Mount your brooms!" Percy yelled. They all threw a leg over their brooms. The whistle blew and they sped off in all directions. The crowd roared and waved magical banners made in the last half hour.

From the Commentator's stand Molly Weasley talked in a magically magnified voice.

"And they're off! The ball is caught by dear little Professor Flitwick who passes to McGonagall but is intercepted by my own Ickle Ronnikins!"

Out on the pitch Ron blushed furiously as he weaved in and out and threw the ball in the air. It was caught swiftly by the blur of Ginny.

"There she goes, I'm so proud, my own little girl!" Mrs. Weasley sniffed dramatically and the school laughed.

Ginny passed by Harry who was hanging in the air looking for the Snitch, but his attention was immediately disturbed as he felt Ginny whiz past him. And so was Draco's. Their eyese followed her and they both missed the Snitch fly past their ears.

She flew to the hoops, saw an opening and took the opportunity.

"Score! Weasleys 10 Professors Zero! Well done Ginevra! There'll be extra pudding for my darling little girl for dinner tonight!"

Ginny grumbled under he breath as the school laughed at her.

Draco hung in the air, trying to focus on the game. He remembered how last night she had been furious and full of energy, just as full of energy as she was now, only she was happy now, for all she was embarrassed. She scowled in the direction of her mother, yet she still smiled as she whizzed back.

He saw Will and Kate cheer from the corner of his eyes. Malfoy glared at Will who had magically dyed his hair red. 'Traitor.' he thought.

Will caught his glare and grinned evilly, the same grin that he himself used when thinking something particularly mean and funny. He pointed his wand at Draco and though Malfo couldn't hear the words of the spell, Draco knew what was coming.

Draco dodged the spell and sped around the pitch, still looking for the Snitch. He thought he saw it for a moment and stopped. He sped towards it, only to find it was just glint of someone's Omnioculars. He cursed under his breath when he felt a tingle in his scalp and gasped in horror.

Brushing some hair deliberately in front of his face, Malfoy saw that it was red. Weasley red.

"WILL!" He whirled around on his broomstick. "YOU"LL PAY! I'LL GET YOU, YOU LITTLE TRAITOR!" Draco roared. Will only laughed and his friend standing with him was breathless with laughter and holding onto him for support.

Ginny looked around at Malfoy who now had red hair and laughed out loud. She caught the Quaffle and flew by him, saying;

"Love the colour, Professor!" she laughed again and threw the ball at the left hand hoop and scored.

"And it seems Professor Malfoy has been made an honorary Weasley! Can't say I like him much, but I guess if he really wants to be one of us, he can expect a jumper this Christmas!" Molly laughed and kept commentating. Ginny almost fell off her broom at thought of Malfoy in a Weasley sweater. And leather pants. Mmmm. She slapped her face and concentrated.

McGonagall, who handled her broom surprisingly well scored twice and Flitwick zoomed about the pitch and scored five more times.

Ron finally scored once and Charlie, well, they'd lost count.

"It's Weasleys – 180 and Faculty – 70, let's just hope our darling Harry gets the Snitch soon, eh? Any luck out there, Harry?"

"MOLLY!" Harry yelled from out on the pitch.

"Ok, then, back to the game. McGonagall passes to Sprout who passes to Flitwick, who passes back and Sprout goes for the goal and … no goal! Lovely save, Billy Bumpkins!" The crowd howled with laughter and Bill turned red and glared at his mother.

"Wait a sec, was that the Snitch?" Everyone started to look around and the saw Malfoy and Harry speed toward the Snitch.

It was a race that Harry was currently winning and was getting farther and farther from Draco. Malfoy tried to make himself lighter. He put all his weight towards his head and jammed his broom into top gear.

He inched past Harry and toward the Snitch. Ginny was watching from afar. The whole game had stopped and she was silently hoping that Malfoy would get the Snitch.

Almost as if in a dream, Malfoy reached out his hand and plucked the Snitch from out of the air. He held it up in the air. Finally, he had beaten Potter. He smirked at Harry and held out his hand that still held the Snitch. Harry smiled at him and shook his other hand.

"It had to happen someday." Harry shrugged and sped off toward Ginny who was flying toward Draco. Harry whispered something to her and they both flew to the family who were standing on the pitch below and shaking hands with the Professors. Malfoy flew down to them and shook all the Weasley's hands. Each handshake was brief, with smart comments about his hair, which made him turn pink in fury. 'Will is going to die.' Draco thought. 'I'll kill him, then resurrect him, then kill him again, just for the satisfaction.'

Ginny, Will and Kate walked back into the Entrance Hall where a large glittering poster caught their attention.

_OWLS AND NEWTS BALL_

_Hogwarts is now trying to establish the tradition of a ball each year for it's older students. All students in their OWL and NEWT years are invited to attend._

_These bands will perform:_

_Buna Seara_

_Weird Sisters_

_The Wanderful Life_

_Remember to wear dress robes._

_Friday night, 7 o'clock till Saturday, 2 am._

"Buna Seara!" Kate jumped up and down Squeeing like a fangirl (A/N: You know what I'm talking about, right fangirls?). "I love them! Vlad is _so _cute! I love Hogwarts! I love school!" Kate was about to explode. She grabbed Ginny and kissed her on the cheek, then grabbed Will and kissed him too. She hardly realized what she was doing. Ginny smiled at the look of utter ecstacy on Kate's face.

Will, blushing a little, said, "I've heard of zem, I knew Vladimir as a child. He is my second cousin as a matter of fact." Will inspected the poster closer, and Ginny wasn't able to read his face.

"You did?" Will nodded.

"Oh my gosh! Ginkees! Can we really meet him do you think? I really love all of his songs! They're so deep …" Kate went on and on about Vlad until they had reached the Gryffindor dormitories.

A/N: Will Draco kill his cousin for his traitorous spell? Will Will and Kate hook-up? Will Ginny ever get to realize her dream of morris dancing? What's with the Otter police?

Find out most of these questions and more in the next installment of _The Professor._


	5. Jealousy

The Professor

Chapter 5

"I can't believe the Professors won! The Weasleys are so much better!" Matt, one of the boys in Will's dorm said. Will sighed. He was tired of hearing the entire match play by play.

"Well, the Professors had a lot more better people, whereas the Weasleys only have two really outstanding players, Ginny and Harry." Kevin, Matt's friend said.

"Oh man, she is such a hottie!" Warwick flopped backwards onto his bed.

"I vouldn't even try it." Will said.

"Why, Vill?" Matt said, smiling at his little joke.

"She's taken, not exactly dating anyvun but nonezeless taken." He sat on his bed.

"You mean, someone else has claimed her?" Kevin asked.

Will raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a cold look. "She's not a piece of luggage you know."

"Who is it?" The boys all asked at once, a little impatiently.

"I'm not saying."

"C'mon, Vill!" Warwick, a skinny little redhead, pleaded.

"No vay." Will pulled the curtains around his bed and heard the curses of the boys as they continued their discussion on Quidditch.

'If you only knew how much you really like him, Ginny,' Will thought. 'and how much he likes you.' He pulled out a book from his nightstand and by the light of his wand began to read.

Will hadn't even made it to the second page before his door was practically broken down by an angry, formerly blonde Draco Malfoy.

"Will, get your butt out here!" the assaulter yelled.

"Coming, oh patient vun!" Will jumped off the bed and opened the door.

Draco was standing, hand raised, ready to break the door down whether Will was behind it or not. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were icy steel. 'If only Ginny could see what I see.' Will grinned.

"Change my hair back, you -!" Draco looked around the room and saw three boys staring at him in horror, two in a state of undress. Draco remembered he was a teacher and not supposed to swear in front of students.

"Will …" Draco left the sentence hanging.

"I can't do anyzing, it vill be like zat till zer dance" Will tried not to smile this time, as he knew it would earn him a few missing teeth and a night in the hospital wing. He didn't want to do that to Kate.

"Then dye it my natural colour!"

"I don't vant to," Will crossed his arms. "Call zis revenge for vat you did to me all zose years ago." Draco's face paled.

"You're still holding a grudge against me for that? That was ages ago Will, plus remember Christmas two years ago? You hooked me up with who I _thought _was the heir to the Montague family, but turned out to be an … an _accountant_." he shivered "Isn't that revenge enough?"

"No," Will said shortly. "Plus, I am razzer enjoying zis." Will closed the door and Draco descended the stairs in a huff.

During the next week, nothing much happened to Ginny, Will and Kate. They hung out with the Weasley Clan and made illegal trips to Hogsmeade.

Kate and Ginny had both bought their dresses (since they thought that they would look better in them than dress robes usually worn by Hogwarts students) and Will wouldn't show them his robes, even though they pleaded wit him again and again.

"No, I really cannot." Said Will, with a gleam in his eye. "It vould spoil zer surprise."

Ginny only really saw Professor Malfoy in the corridors when she was wandering with her friends, but neither he nor she made any attempt to make conversation.

She was walking through one corridor now with Kate and Will, she could see Professor Malfoy off in the distance when she was approached from behind.

"Oh, hey Harry." she smiled at him and he smiled back, weakly. 'he looks little green.' Ginny thought. 'Is he sick?'

"Can I talk to you for a sec, Gin. Alone?" he looked at the other two who scurried off to talk to Professor Malfoy, which they never did while Ginny was around.

"What is it?" she asked, looking over at her friends who were talking nonstop to Malfoy.

"Um, would … would, er …" he trailed off and mumbled something under his breath which sounded suspiciously like, "Harder than Cho …"

"Would, you, erm .. go to .. the … er dancewithme?" he blushed and looked down at his shoes.

Ginny thought. 'Well, I've wanted this all my life, haven't I? So why am I not fainting, or giggling or even blushing?'

"Yes." He looked up and his emerald green eyes brightened and he practically jumped for joy.

"Thanks, Gin," he smiled as he skipped off. Ginny laughed at his back, but Harry didn't hear, bluebirds were tweeting happily in his mind and all the world was a lush garden of love. He bumped into a few people and ran over a first year before he calmed down.

Ginny walked over to where Will, Kate and Professor Malfoy were talking to each other.

Malfoy was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed as he listened to the other two. It wasn't hard to see that Will and Kate liked each other. The stolen glances, shuffling of feet and the blushes. He stopped himself from crying out "For goodness sakes, just snog and get it over with!". Looking past the lovers' heads he saw a familiar red headed shape coming towards their group. He wanted to hide his hair, but he was damned if he was going to wear a hat. He never was a hat person.

"She's coming." he announced and stepped away from the wall and walked toward his classroom.

"You're so chicken, Draco." Will said.

"What makes you say that, Will?" Draco sneered.

"You've been avoiding her, don't zink I haven't seen it." Will's eyes twinkled.

"Don't think I haven't seen the way you're always sneaking glances at Kate and, for hell's sake, blushing!" Draco walked briskly away, leaving a very stunned Kate and a very red Will.

A strange blonde haired and blue-eyed young man crept along the passage and hid in the shadows. He slid along the wall until he reached the door and opening it slid inside. The room's other occupants were two incredibly famous people.

"C'mon guys, we got a lot of work to do." The strange boy said.

The night of the dance came quickly. Kate and Ginny used all of the beauty spells they knew and all the beauty potions they had as they dressed for the ball. Kate wore a powder blue dress in the romantic style; princess line and white lace trimmings. Ginny wore a deep green dress that shimmered with silver and had a split up one side. Ginny felt a bit like a house traitor wearing it, but when she had seen it in the shop, and then seen how it looked on her, she had to have it. A necklace that she bought at Diagon Alley the year before matched her dress well.

When they descended the staircase Harry was completely speechless. Ginny. In green. Slightly Slytherin-esque, but it suited her auburn hair. Kate didn't have a date and was going by herself. She exited before Harry and Ginny, as she didn't want to feel like a third wheel. Kate couldn't help feeling a little sad. This was her third ball in a row without a date. Maybe she should be more outgoing like Ginny …

Draco Malfoy watched as he saw Ginny enter the hall on the arm of that Pot-head, Potter. Potter looked smug as he led his date onto the dance floor, and when Draco saw her, he could understand why.

Ginny looked so … beautiful? Ravishing, stunning … these words and more.

He looked down at his drink, trying to forget about her and Potty. He didn't just hate Hairy Potter now, his stomach twisted with jealousy and envy and a sickening loathing of Potter. Ginny deserved better, even though you couldn't get much better than The-Boy-Who-Lived. She deserved him.


End file.
